Broomfield to renovate two local trails this summer

By Megan Quinn

Enterprise Staff Writer

Posted:
05/14/2014 10:24:21 AM MDT

Updated:
05/14/2014 10:25:08 AM MDT

Two run-down trails in Broomfield will get a makeover to make them safer and more accessible.

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Broomfield City Council approved a plan that would renovate a piece of the Wadsworth Parkway regional trail that runs between Highway 128 and Metro Airport Avenue near the Ball Corporation. The trail has major cracks and uneven pavement.

Council also approved a plan to renovate and widen a half-mile segment of a different trail in the Westlake neighborhood that is heavily used by residents and children who walk to and from Westlake Middle School.

The improvements, funded by Broomfield's capital improvement budget, would cost about $446,500, according to a memo from Broomfield staff.

Construction could start as early as July and wrap up in November.

The two trails were on the list for upgrades because of wear and tear, said Broomfield engineer Katie Allen.

The Wadsworth Parkway trail segment project will repair about a third of a mile of the concrete trail. The segment was built in 1980 and is so full of cracks and uneven pavement that it is unsafe to use, she said.

Weeds have started to flourish in wide cracks in the trail, too.

"That is one of the worst trails I've seen," said council member Sam Taylor.

When repaired, the trail will provide access to the Arista neighborhood, the U.S. 36 bikeway and businesses in Interlocken. The trail eventually will connect to a proposed trail south of Metro Airport Avenue.

The trail will become more important as the Arista area continues to grow, according to the memo.

Meanwhile, in the Westlake neighborhood, a half-mile segment of concrete trail will be renovated and widened between Westlake Middle School and Trails South Park.

The renovations are meant to give users more room to pass each other, fix flooding issues and bring the trail up to Americans With Disabilities Act compliance.

The trail, which is a popular way for students to get to and from Westlake Middle School, will be widened from six feet to eight feet, according to the memo.

Other improvements would make some parts of the trail less steep in order to make it more ADA accessible.

Broomfield also plans to fix some drainage issues around the trail segment, too. Residents have particularly complained about a piece of the trail that runs near the playground west of Westlake Drive and a piece of trail on the west side of the Trails South Park pond. In wet weather, those two areas tend to flood or freeze.